The Haunting of Cape Cod and the Islands

Steeped in the staunch seafaring traditions of New England, The Haunting of Cape Code and the Islands gives a ghostly guided tour of two dozen historic sites. From Highfield Hall to the Sandwich Glass Museum, from the Crocker Tavern to the Simmons Homestead in Hyannis Port, to the spooky Edward Gorey House and even to the depths of an authentic pirate shipwreck, the supernatural inhabitants each have a tale to tell.

Author Barbara Sillery

Award-winning television producer, documentary scriptwriter, and author Barbara Sillery has a passion for storytelling. Through her books and documentaries, she uncovers tantalizing tales of ghosts, hauntings, and lost cultural treasures. As a guest speaker, she entertains and delights her audiences with amazing plot twists and colorful characters.

“Prepare to be engaged and entertained. . . Barbara’s gift for storytelling holds in the written word just as it does before a television camera.”

I have been busy this year with author talks and books signings for The Haunting of Cape Cod and The Islands, a ghostly tour of over two dozen haunted historic sites. From Highfield Hall to the Sandwich Glass Museum, from the Old Yarmouth Inn to the Simmons Homestead in Hyannis Port, and over to Old South Church in Nantucket, it’s been an intriguing journey. I never write about a site unless I make a personal visit. I’ve even interviewed the man who discovered an authentic pirate shipwreck off the coast of Cape Cod, and the wreck of the Whydah was laden with gold coins and the ghosts of the pirates themselves. Thank you to everyone who came and to all the wonderful libraries and museums that invited me to speak. Check out my blog for what I am currently working on.

The Haunting of Cape Cod and the Islands, along with my others, The Haunting of Louisiana and The Haunting of Mississippi, is available online through Amazon (please check LIKE or write a review, I’d really appreciate it) and pelicanpub.com. You can also order my books through most bookstores.

Discover More About My Books & Documentaries

Following the success of my documentary, Biloxi Memories and the Broadwater Beach Hotel, which was broadcast on PBS stations along the Gulf Coast, I am happy to announce the release of Biloxi Memories, my newest book from Pelican Publishing. The book format allowed me to include many wonderful details and stories that did not make it into the documentary due to time constraints.

In Biloxi Memories, you can follow the incredible journey of the sailing sloop, the Nydia, which has come full circle from Biloxi to New Orleans, and is now the centerpiece of the new Biloxi Maritime Museum. You’ll also be able to read true stories about Elvis as a young man who loved to hang out in Biloxi and how he acquired a New Orleans Fortier High School belt buckle. Visit some of Biloxi’s grand dames: legendary hotels such as the Edgewater, the Buena Vista, and, of course, the Broadwater Beach. The Broadwater was a favorite of presidents and movie legends like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Read about some of the delightful and often hilarious incidents that occurred during their stays. Biloxi Memories has more than 150 full-color photographs and vintage postcards for you to enjoy!

Find My Books & DVDs Online or in Your Local Bookstore

My books Biloxi Memories, The Haunting of Cape Cod and the Islands, The Haunting of Mississippi, and The Haunting of Louisiana are all available through your local independent bookstores, as well as Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, as well as through online orders and e-books at Amazon.com. DVDS of the documentaries Biloxi Memories and the Broadwater Beach Hotel and City Park Memories are available through wyes.org/shop.

Faded Ladies and Plantation Portraits are perfect for those who want to explore plantation architecture and historic preservation. There is a special focus on African-American heritage and the contributions of an enslaved people: their skills in cabinetmaking, building, and other crafts. Amazing slave narratives are brought to life along with insights into plantation lifestyles in the big houses. DVDs of Plantation Portraits and Faded Ladies are available through Amazon.

Coming Soon: More Exciting News

I am currently working on two mystery novels: Ghosts Within and Ashes of Old Lovers. Meet Zee Zuchowski, a travel writer who stumbles on a body in an abandoned pool while staying at the Myrtles Plantation, which has been touted as America’s most haunted home. In Ashes of Old Lovers, Zee has been hired to write a book about the Grevonburg Mansion near New Iberia, Louisiana. The lives of the Grevonburg family members are shrouded in mystery, and Zee must unravel this tangled web before she can complete her assignment.

Wishing you all the best,
Barbara

More About the Author

Words are my passion. The journey is awesome. Much of what I write about requires extensive background research and occasional participation. I have danced at pow wows and traveled by boat to Native American burial grounds tucked deep into hidden bayous, climbed a less-than-adequate ladder to reach the belvedere of an abandoned plantation house, and descended into the rotting hull of a wooden oyster lugger.

I am also fortunate to work in both the print and broadcast fields. My work as a field producer for syndicated television shows like Extra, Strange Universe, Dangerous Destinations, CBS News, and The Early Show has resulted in some surprising assignments. I have interviewed celebrities on movie sets – Hilary Swank, Dakota Fanning, Forest Whitaker, Jamie Foxx, and Rob Lowe are among my favorites – and interviewed musicians Willie Nelson and Faith Hill, as well as the towering giant Shaquille O’Neal.

On the flipside, I’ve had to grit my teeth while asking the question why to a peeping tom who created his own website as a “public service,” and have had trouble maintaining a neutral expression while interviewing young girls as they bared all at a Girls Gone Wild Mardi Gras party on a Bourbon Street balcony.

I confess a certain fondness for legends, myths, and folklore. As the author of The Haunting ofLouisiana, The Haunting of Mississippi, and now my newest, The Haunting of Cape Cod & the Islands, I have acquired a reputation as “the ghost writer.” There is an undeniable appeal for tracking clues to uncover the past: whose footsteps, eerie whispers, odd pranks, wispy illusions, and occasional startling appearances are these? Why does he/she choose to haunt his/her former home? What happened to keep this troubled spirit tethered to the earthly world? How do the current occupants of the historic site deal with their resident ghost? I never tire of attempting to unravel the mystery. After four books, countless magazine articles, more than a dozen documentaries, and over twenty years of television assignments, it continues to be an exciting life. Check out my blog for what I am currently working on.

Contact author Barbara Sillery to discover more of her writing. Based in Cape Cod, she travels nationwide for her work.